


and then you come to eat the world

by tukimecca



Series: The akafuri AUs of Doom [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AU, M/M, but it's a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 13:07:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4747556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tukimecca/pseuds/tukimecca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. The world is in endless loop because Akashi, The World Eater, has to eat it at some point. That is until he meets Furihata who wishes to save him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and then you come to eat the world

**Author's Note:**

> Formatting of this one is a bitch. Basically and idea I had for years or so but never bother to write it until today. Not happy ending but happy ending in a sense. The first part explained the concept of ‘world-eating’ thing, I hope it isn’t too confusing.

Akashi decided it’s as much as Nijimura’s fault as much as it is Shirogane’s fault. Had they not decided to make strange mechanism called ‘Purge’ in which Akashi is obligated to devour his five ‘brothers’ once The Tree of The World went beyond salvation, none of this would happen.

The world will ‘continue’ where it left of; the day those two oh-so-brilliant scientists decided to wake him up and devour his ‘brothers’. Akashi withers into nothingness, leaving bare land stripped from any sign of life except one single seed. It returns to the earth and grows, roots embracing the soil, green sprouts facing the sun, the tree soon grows tall and taller, its tip long to embrace the sky. The leaves rustle, playing a serene melody of earth then it bores fruit, flower grows, and before anyone knows, the world has rebon. Life returns, human born, animal runs over the vast expanse of land, fish swims in a brook, birds flies and paints the sky with its song.

It is beautiful, a picture perfect scenery that brought tears to the eyes and heart of Edola; The Tree of The World as people call it, it stands tall, taller than any monument human ever dream to make, stronger than any fortress human ever dream to build. Human praise Edola, pray for Edola, devote their all to Edola, but even their worship to what they sung as Manifestation of God didn’t last long.

It’s always the same story.

Greed, wants, needs, lust, they dig their nails deep into hearts of human and before long, human forget about their God; they are their own God. And even if they know the more war they wage the less robust Edola become, they continue to brandish their sword, bare their fangs to each other. Live gone in a blink of an eye, blood spill, children cry, Edola withers, its leave fall to the earth slowly dyed in red.

The grand Tree of The World rots for no single human to care,. And then Akashi awakens, watching with his eyes, as red as the blood that soaks mother earth. He waits for his brother in the throne made for him; they all come to him, getting closer the more rotten Edola has become; the more rotten human has become. He will devour them, one by one, and the world returns to day one.

It was never the same tragedy but always the same ending; he devours the world, The World Eater as they named him aeons ago. Akashi and his five brothers carry no memory, only duty; bringing salvation to world beyond salvation, only repeating the different yet same story.

The world this time is no difference or so Akashi thought when he opened his eyes inside a damp casket buried deep down somewhere in the middle of nowhere. He raised from his slumber and gazed at the world with his crimson lens. He felt no remorse, he did not lament at how destruction seems to be the only way out for this dying world. He knew what is to come, he just didn’t know when and where. He only knew how and who.

The world this time is no difference and nothing was out of ordinary when he discovered two personification of Edola; Nebuya The Root of Edola, Mibuchi The Fruit of Edola, and Hayama The Leave of Edola. Three of them naturally followed behind him, watching how Akashi built his own empire in this world. Akashi is wise and powerful, and so are they. But Edola has no will but for the world and the world’s will is for the people, they’re selfless. Sometimes Akashi asked them if they wish human is just selfless as they are. Nebuya and Hayama’s answers were thunderous laugh, Mibuchi laughed as well but it was more subtle, he hid his mouth behind his hand then turned to answer; “they won’t be human if they are.”

And we love them for it, goes unsaid. Akashi thought Edola is hopeless, The World is hopeless.

But human is even more so.

-

Midorima is the earth, Kise the fire, Murasakibara the wind, Aomine is the light, and Kuroko is the water. Together they make up the world as it is, and Akashi is their eater, he devours them when the time comes.

There was never remorse when he do, no regret, no hesitation. He was created not to feel attachment. Interest; yes, but attachment is concept so foreign to him. He could destroy and create the exact same thing again with a flick of a finger, or he could create new thing if the old one failed to interest him anymore.

His other five brothers are less than fortunate; they knew what is attachment. They feel as much as human does and lives pretty much how human would live. They feel hatred, remorse, pity, guilt, pain, sadness. They feel happiness, content, satisfaction, love. All concepts interesting but foreign to him. Why would you invest yourself into something you will lose in the end?

It’s always the same story, it never was, and it will never be different, so why bother?

They might have no memory of what happened in previous world, all they had was record, a record of how many times it had happened. They remember no faces, no names; nothing. So no one can really tell if the person they meet in this world are the same person they had met in the previous one. But Akashi is sure that in any world he had devoured, Kuroko Tetsuya was never deviant of him even if he had been by the side of a brave, gallant warrior with hair as fiery as fire that dance and spark in his eyes. Kagami Taiga might have and might have not been Kuroko Tetsuya’s partner or friend, or anything in previous world but nobody can tell. Kagami is a hero, selfless hero who puts importance of others above himself, he is selfless, in a sense that Akashi (and Edola) had thought it would not be possible for mortals, but here is Kagami Taiga, he took arrows for his people, brandish his sword for his people. He takes life for his people but he always closes his eyes and whispers the sacred name of Edola whenever he does so.

As if Kuroko’s betrayal is not enough, Midorima turned against him as well. A falcon master, a boy with eyes as sharp as steel, smile as brilliant as the constellation that Midorima Shintarou worship so much. Takao Kazunari is his name and if he might have and might have not been Midorima Shintarou’s partner in previous world but he is now, and his love for the world, his love for his people is too overwhelming for Midorima who only remember, only know the demise of the said world and people find meaning in every single thing Takao does, he finds reason, and the reason, whatever it is, is enough to spur him into action as ridiculous as waging war against the empire Akashi had built.

People suffer, Kise had said in one of his speech. Kise, his dear, dear youngest brother Kise Ryouta. He is young and reckless, passionate like a fire he is. He finds love in his people, find trust in them, and he finds aspiration in his leader; Kasamatsu Yukio. A young king with too heavy of a crown, bestowed upon him after his father was killed by the hand of enemy. Kise is inspired by Aomine, it’s one thing that will never change because it happened during the day of their creation, before day one ever happened. The adoration is still there but this time he found another in Kasamatsu and it is enough to ignite the slumbering fire within him. People suffer but everything is meant to end, so does this suffering, Kise had said and he is answered with cries of his people; cries of hope.

Aomine is different, always different. The first to come into being, he is, in a sense, unfinished, but he is complete. Aomine matured, ripened in a way different than the others had been, and he is the most human, which is why he is the most apathetic. He had hurt like human did, loved, cared, betrayed like human did and it thought him that detachment is how it should be for them, beings that will bring an end to this world. Akashi found similarity in him but somehwere along the line he realize; they’re different. Different because Aomine is more human than Akashi will ever be. Aomine is more human as inhuman Akashi is. Akashi though Aomine will never join Kuroko and their two brothers in their band of stopping him from devouring the world; killing Akashi Seijuurou, but he does and those pair of blue eyes were never been alive as they are now. Because Aomine is the light, he meant to shine, to show people the way, and that is what he is doing right now.

By the time Murasakibara bares his fangs against him, Akashi is no longer surprised. Murasakibara Atsushi is the wind, the hurricane, he is merciless and unforgiving. Akashi’s army had accidentally touched his confidante, his partner, and even if Himuro Tatsuya is still alive, whatever chain that has restrained Murasakibara is no more. It is only natural, Akashi mused as Mibuchi goes again about another of their slayed army somewhere in the north. Murasakibara is a child, he is always easy to provoke, and he is the most sensitive despite his apathetic bearing. One single touch to what he claimed belongs to him then a pay is due. Himuro is trigger for Murasakibara the way Kagami is for Kuroko, the way Kasamatsu is for Kise, the way Takao is to Midorima, the more his brothers are for Aomine.

“It is only the matter of time,” Akashi smiles.

After all, his brothers will always come to him. This is just a matter of how.

-

Akashi thought this world is no difference than the countless previous, different story with same tragedy. The world will end in his stomach and Edola will wither, leaving its seed in world barren of any form of life but Edola’s seed itself.

And Furihata Kouki is no difference than other war hostage he had taken from other armies. Except that he is a friend of Kuroko and he knows who and what Akashi is. Furihata Kouki fears him the way every other hostages did but in his eyes is also what Akashi registered as pity.

“It doesn’t always have to be like that,” Furihata’s voice is barely above a whisper between his pants. Akashi is not human but he is born in body of human, and sexual pleasure is just one of things human needs. This is not his first time, he had his needs sated with other countless hostages he had in the past but Furihata is the first one; the first one ever try to initiate a conversation beside; stop, help me, don’t kill me. It flicked curiosity in him as he looks down at the warm body beneath him.

“What doesn’t always have to be like that?” Akashi asked, watching as Furihata’s chest raise and fall with every breathe he takes.

The brunette takes one shuddering breathe and looks up at Akashi right in the eyes, Akashi sees it again; pity, and he also sees sadness, and fear, and every single emotion he never bother to name before but this time he finds himself in wonder at how many emotions could fill someone’s eyes in one single time, “you don’t always have to eat Kuroko and the others.”

It’s not like I have a choice, Akashi wants very much to say, but Furihata brings his hands up to, trembling fingers grazing Akashi’s pale and sweaty cheek.

“Kuroko says it does’t hurt you, but,” Furihata pauses, Akashi sees his eyes narrows in the dark and he unconsciously leans to Furihata’s touch, “it hurt, isn’t it?”

Akashi thought this world is no different, but Furihata Kouki is different. He fears him like everybody else does but he intrigues him the way anybody ever does. He can feel every breathe the brunette takes and he wonders if Furihata can feel it too, “this world is hurting Edola,” he says quietly, “it never hurt me.”

He leans downs to claim Furihata’s mouth, the brunette sobs and his body trembles, but not in fear, Akashi thinks as he slipped his tongue inside Furihata’s mouth. Furihata’s fingers clinging to his shoulder, heartbeat beating beneath his chest, his eyes are screwed shut, but he doesn’t let go.

Akashi wishes he would never do.

-

“Have you ever wondered what would it be like if we continue?”

Akashi glances at Furihata who’s burying himself under the blanket. He had kept the boy for more than a month in his room already, not letting anyone come inside except to bring him some food. Mibuchi teased him endlessly about how possesive he is to Furihata. Akashi always beg to differ inside; Furihata is his, it is only natural not to share. “What do you mean, Kouki?”

Furihata rolls under the blanket to look at him, brown eyes blinking in wonder, “You know, this world. You told me this world always return to day one, which mean the world stopped at some point only to rewind to where it started. Have you ever wondered if the world is to continue from where it left of?”

“No, because it will never happen,” he answered flatly. It is true, the world will never continue, he will eat it, he always ate it. He never find it in him to think about mundane think such as what Furihata just asked him, he already knows how it will end, he is the one to bring that end, “I will eat it.”

“But I…” Furihata stopped and didn’t continue until Akashi finished clasping the button of his gloves. He turned to the brunette, cape swishing grandly behind him. Furihata is still looking at him when he speaks again, “I want to continue with you…”

Akashi walks to the bed, he gathers the warm body to his embrace, and feels his heart beats when Furihata snuggles to the touch, “you know how it will end.”

Furihata’s voice does not waver when he says, “you will eat this world.”

I want to save you, is what Furihata wanted to speak, but who is he to save Akashi,

The World Eater.

-

Akashi felt silly when he remembered how he ever wished, hoped, Furihata would never leave him. He does, did the moment Kuroko and his band of small yet skillful army managed to find a way to snuck inside Akashi’s palace. He was in a duel with Kagami when one stray arrow managed to lodge itself in Furihata’s shoulder. Akashi lost himself in rage, earth beneath him ablaze, the air stills before it explodes in surge of Akashi’s wrath. He knocks everyone away as he fell to his knee, breathe coming in short pants but the only words in his mind was Kouki, and so he looks up, only to see Kuroko, who somehow managed to save himself from the explosion, dragged his Furihata away to where Kiyoshi is. Akashi felt his breathe stops as everything unfolds in front of him in slow motion. Kiyohi is The Tree itslef, Akashi might be invincible, he might be the World Eater but Kiyoshi is The Edola, he is a force beyond Akashi’s hand.

It happened too fast, his eyes were still locked to where Furihata is when Kagami, who he had knocked twenty feet away landed a blow to his right shoulder blade. Akashi screamed, his hand found his sword faster than he thought it would and he charged back at Kagami. But he is alone, and what he had unleashed drained almost all his energy away, Kagami is not alone. He has his companions with him, ready to charge at Akashi whenever Kagami tells them to. Akashi hates to admit it but it’s a losing battle so he lets out another force of energy as he retreats, taking down his palace with it.

When he returns to his throne, deep somewhere in place untouchable, Akashi roars; in agony, in anger, but most of it, in pain.

They had taken his Kouki away.

-

“They’re coming,” Mayuzumi’s voice is breathless, his body is warm under Akashi but Akashi feels cold. The coldness feels right because this is how he is supposed to feel. He finds it foreign but tells himself he will get used to it. He leaves the bed, feels Mayuzumi’s eyes trained on his naked back as he saunters to where his robe is lying on the floor. “Your brothers are coming for you.”

Akashi stands in front of the big mirror, fastening the sash of his robe. He can see Mayuzumi’s reflection on it, leaving the bed and picking up his discarded clothing by the bed. “They are supposed to.” Mayuzumi looks at him but says nothing until Akashi walks to the door and opens it for him. “Leave.”

The older boy wears his clothes and walks out the room, not before kneeling down in front of Akashi and planting a kiss to the back of his hand, “You will eat this world.” Akashi remembers someone used to say the same thing but it feels different.

Mayuzumi wants him to eat the world. That someone doesn’t want him to.

Mayuzumi sees God in him. That someone sees him.

Mayuzumi wants him to save this world. That someone wants to save him.

-

“It doesn’t always have to be like that,” Akashi smiles fondly at the memory and at how funny everything is. Furihata was beneath him when the world first left those mouth that had uttered words that Akashi had never thought will ever be directed at him. Fate is funny thing because it is now Akashi beneath Furihata and it is Akashi who is breathless. Furihata is, and has always been, beautiful; because he fears him and he loves him, and he wants to save him. Akashi always wonder whether Furihata had existed in previous world and had they ever met at all. Has this always been the part of the plan; their meeting?

“It has to be, Kouki,” he says, eyes never leaving Furihata’s. “The world is hurting Edola,” the same answer, they had had this conversation many times in the past, Furihata should have known where this will end, “as much as I want to continue with you, I have to eat this world.”

“Because you are the world eater,” Furihata says, his eyes glisten with tears, tears that soon fall to Akashi’s cheek, leaving a warm trail on it before sliding down to moisten the earth beneath them. “But I want to continue with you.”

“You can’t save me,” Akashi smiles tenderly, he raises his hand to touch Furihata’s cheeks, thumbs brushing the wet corner of his eyes. As much as I want you too.

“You don’t have to eat the world,” Furihata sobs, more tears falling with every words, “You don’t have to. This world will be a better place one day, this world can be a better place, you could just let them continue and everything will be alright!”

Akashi remembers The Edola, its withering leaves, its falling trunk, its rotting fruit, its scattered flowers. He hopes what Furihata says is true but the fact says otherwise, Edola is crying, begging, and its cry is killing him. He has to eat this world or else he cannot survive, he won’t survive. The need to eat the world is carnal, it’s driving him crazy and as much as the thought of losing Furihata had nearly made him lost his mind, this is even more so. Eating the world is his purpose, his reason for existence, what Akashi is born to do. He has to, is to devour his brothers and lets the world reborn, returns to day one. Even if it means losing every single memories he had with the one and only person ever wish to save him, even if it means losing him.

“I won’t be,” he says, “I have to eat the world, or else I die.”

Furihata cries a broken ‘why’ before burying his head in the crook of Akashi’s neck, Akashi runs his hand through the chocolate hair that tickles his cheeks. “Why does it have to be like that?”

Akashi closes his eyes, inhaling Furihata’s scent. He smells like the sun, like the forest, like the woods, like the water, like the wind. “You smell like the world, Kouki,” he murmurs, “and I just want to save you.”

He can feel Furihata’s breathe on his ears as he turns and whispers, “I want to save you too.”

Akashi closes his eyes, for the first time in forever, he finally finds how it feels to be in peace.

-

Kuroko falls to his knees, wretched sobs escaping his body as he stares at two still body embracing each other.

The singing earth is painted red, flowers blooms, bird sings, the grass rustles in the wind. The Tree of The World is as tall and as sturdy as ever, its fruit leaving sweet fragrance dancing in the air, its roots strongly and dearly embrace the breathing land.

“It doesn’t have to be like this,” Kuroko cries. Kagami is quickly beside him, gathering his frail body into his strong arms. He rest his chin on the bluenette’s hair and whisper shooting words at him.

“I always think,” Kuroko says from between his sobs, “I always think Akashi-kun is the world, you know. He is the one needs to be saved.”

But nobody ever think of it, Kagami ponders. Akashi is the world eater, he is the one everybody needs salvation from.

“But I can’t, I cannot save him. None of us can, we…I…” Kagami pulls Kuroko closer, hoping that the smaller boy can find even the smallest strength to pull himself together.

Kagami can hear the footsteps of their companion before him. All armies had joined together in their last war against Akashi, against the tyrant Emperor;

against the world eater.

None of them spoke, for a while, only Kuroko’s cry and twittering bird, singing earth could be heard. How tragic, Kagami thought, but at the same time he thought this is how it is supposed to be; the world lives when its predator died.

“He was not the world,” Kiyoshi breaks the silence. Kiyoshi Teppei, the most selfless of all, the Tree, the Edola, the world. “He was just a part of it, just like how all of you are. “

“Sei-chan was a victim, all six of you are,” Mibuchi speaks as well. He seemingly wants to continue but he couldn’t bring himself to as a sob escaped his lips. Nebuya ruffled his hair, Hayama clasped his trembling back. The other two Edola are quiet. Kagami had thought Kiyoshi would speak again but he was surprised to hear another voice.

“Human is a fool. They overestimate themselves, underestimated us,” Hanamiya Makoto, the flower of Edola spat. “We could save ourselves and this is none the least surprising, you know, this is how it’s supposed to happen. This delusional fool over there,” he snickered, “was never suppose to eat us. All six of you weren’t supposed to born. The world is supposed to continue.”

Kagami feels Kuroko stiffens under him but before the smaller boy could hurl back at Hanamiya, Kiyoshi already spoke, “Now, now, Hanamiya, as far as I know, this is how it’s supposed to be, the purge mechanism and all.”

Hanamiya glared at him but it doesn’t stop Kiyoshi. The tall man pulls his hand with a smile before walking to where Akashi and Furihata’s bodies are lying; still, unbreathing, asleep, dead. Nebuya, Mibuchi, and Hayama followed after them. They all look down at the world eater, lying on the pool of his own blood, in the arms of the only person who ever thought of saving him.

“All we need to know that this world has meets its salvation,” Kiyoshi says. The other four move to form a circle around the two, their hands linking with each others. “And these two here, along with all of you,” he shifts his gaze to each of world eater’s brother; Aomine, Murasakibara, Kise, Midorima, before finally down to Kuroko who’s still kneeling on the ground with tears smearing his face, save in stronghold of Kagami’s arms.

“Have found your salvation as well.”

-

Kuroko decides it’s as much as Nijimura’s fault as much as it is Shirogane’s fault as he stands where his friend and brother used to lie in their last and final moment. Had they not decided to make strange mechanism called ‘Purge’ in which The World Eater is obligated to devour five core of the world once The Tree of The World went beyond salvation in foolish attempt of saving it for the name of human’s act of egoism, none of this would happen.

Since the day the world continues, Kuroko always wonders if everything that had happened, if repeating world, trapping it in endless loop of same tragedy worth it. He finds himself more in doubt than not but now when he looks around and sees there is more love than when he was born, he’d like to think that everything is.

Kuroko hears Kagami’s voice calling him behind him and he closes his eyes, smiling as he opens his ears, listening to the returning life, running animal, swimming fish, flying birds.

He always think Akashi is the world, but he might be wrong, he might be mistaken.

Akashi, just like Kiyoshi said, is just a part of the world, as much as he and his four brothers are. And they, just like the world, needed salvation.


End file.
